1.

INTRODUCTION INTRODUCTION HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT: Human resource management (HRM) is a relatively modern label for the range of themes and practices involved in managing people. It is defined and described in a variety of (sometimes contradictory) ways. This excerpt from Human Resource Management in a Business Context introduces the concept of human resources management. It outlines HRM as a philosophy of people management and provides a framework for its role within the business context. Human resource management has not 'come out of nowhere'. HRM has absorbed ideas and techniques from a number of areas. In effect, it is a synthesis of themes and concepts drawn from over a century of management theory and social science research. Like fashions in hairstyle and clothing, management ideas come and go. However, a consistent theme has prevailed for over twenty years: the most successful organizations make the most effective use of their people - their human resources. PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT: The renewed emphasis on the importance of human resources in the 1980s and 90s drew attention to the way in which people management was organized. Specifically, this meant a critical review of the functions of personnel management. Personnel management has been a recognized function in the USA since NCR opened a personnel office in the 1890s. In other countries the function arrived more slowly and came through a variety of routes. This excerpt from Human Resource Management in a Business Context looks at Personnel Management from a historical perspective.

Specialist Personnel Functions:

Recruitment - advertising for new employees and liaising with Selection - determining the best candidates from those who apply, Promotion - running similar selection procedures to determine progression Pay - a minor or major role in pay negotiation, determination and Performance assessment - co-ordinations staff appraisal and counseling Grading structures - as a basis for pay or development, comparing the Training and development - co-ordination or delivering program to fit Welfare - providing or liaising with specialists in a staff care or counseling Communication - providing internal information service, perhaps in the Employee Relations - handling disputes, grievances and industrial action, Dismissal - on an individual basis as a result of failure to meet

employment agencies.

arranging interviews, tests and references.

within the organization.

administration.

systems to evaluate individual employee performance.

relative difficulty and importance of functions.

people for the roles required by the organization now and in the future.

role for people with personal or domestic problems affecting their work.

form of staff newspapers or magazines, handouts, booklets, videos.

often dealing with unions or staff representatives.

requirements or as part of a redundancy, downsizing or closure exercise, perhaps involving large numbers of people.

Personnel administration - record-keeping and monitoring of legislative

requirements related to equal opportunities and possibly pensions and ta

HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT IN INDIA Over many centuries India has absorbed managerial ideas and practices from around the world. Early records of trade, from 4500 B.C. to 300 B.C., not only indicate international economic and political links, but also the ideas of social and public administration. The world's first management book, titled 'Arlhashastra', written three millennium before Christ, codified many aspects of human resource practices in Ancient India. This treatise presented notions of the financial administration of the state, guiding principles for trade and commerce, as well as the management of people. These ideas were to be embedded in organizational thinking for centuries (Rangarajan 1992, Sihag 2004). Increasing trade, that included engagement with the Romans, led to widespread and systematic governance methods by 250 A.D. During the next 300 years, the first Indian empire, the Gupta Dynasty, encouraged the establishment of rules and regulations for managerial systems, and later from about 1000 A.D. Islam influenced many areas of trade and commerce. A further powerful effect on the managerial history of India was to be provided by the British system of corporate organization for 200 years. Clearly, the socio cultural roots of Indian heritage are diverse and have been drawn from multiple sources including ideas brought from other parts of the old world. Interestingly, these ideas were essentially secular.

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY The main objectives of the study are:

1.

To find out the awareness about work-life balance between employees in

the organization. 2. Find out whether work-life balance is been possible in todays

environment. 3. 4. 5. To identify the level of stress faced by the employees. Analysis whether work or family which is termed as an important one. To identify the satisfaction of employees with reference to the facilities

offered by the management.

6.

To identify the various important factors employees consider in improving

the work-life balance in the organization.

SCOPE OF THE STUDY The research study was conducted to know the employees perception regarding Work-Life balance. The study covers 125 employees of Ashok Leyland working in Chennai corporate office. The research findings will help the company to frame certain strategies to help the employees to balance their work and their personal life.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Research Research comprises defining and redefining problems, formulating hypothesis or suggesting solutions, collecting, organizing and evaluating data; making deduction and research conclusions; and at last carefully testing the conclusion to determine whether they fit the formulating hypothesis. Research Methodology Research methodology is a way to systematically solve the research problem. It may be understood as a science of studying how research is done scientifically. Research Design Descriptive research design has been adopted for the study. Descriptive studies are concerned with describing the characteristics or behavior of a particular individual or a group. Most of the social research comes in this category. The study was conducted in Ashok Leylands Chennai corporate office. Sampling Design Simple random sampling was adopted for the study. A simple random sampling is a sample generated by a process that guarantees in the long run, that every possible sample of a given size will be selected with known and equal

probability. This method was found to be the most convenient and suitable for the study.

Sampling Size The sample size for the above mentioned study is divided as shown below. Nomenclature Male Female Total Duration Duration of the study was 1 Month. Nature and Sources of Data Primary data was collected for the project. Primary data was collected by means of questionnaires. Apart from this secondary data was also collected from Ashok Leylands annual reports, manuals, website, and various journals. Discussions with the staff members also helped to great extent in extracting valuable information. Questionnaire Construction In order to make the questionnaire effective the sequence of the questions was given major importance. A set of 14 questions was prepared for the employees. The questions constructed were simple and concrete. The structured questionnaire helped in generating information to the point. Number of Sample 104 21 125

Advantages of using questionnaire method 1. 2. Data analysis was simple with the structured questionnaire. Reliable data could be obtained as the respondents were given the option

to choose. 3. It was possible to closely evaluate the preference of the respondents from

their expression. Method of Data Collection The data collection was been done by meting the respondents personally and by administering the questionnaires. General options and views of the respondents were recorded and taken into consideration for analysis. Presentation of the Data After the collection of data it was edited to assure consistency and uniformity in the responses and to arrive at a conclusion. Graphical representation also helped a great deal. Simple percentage analyses were used in a data presentation, which helped in bringing out the real differences of the deviation from the reality.

LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

1.

Since the study was confined in Chennai corporate office alone the

findings are applicable only to the employees of Ashok Leyland in Chennai alone. 2. There is no proper response from the employees to get the complete

information needed for the research study. 3. The survey results are based on the information gathered from the

respondents. It might be possible that the information supplied might be exaggerated or biased. 4. Few of the employees are not in a position to give complete information

so it was difficult to process with incomplete data.

HISTORY OF WORK-LIFE BALANCE

The expression was first used in the late 1970s to describe the balance between an individual's work and personal life. In the United States, this phrase was first used in 1986. Over the past twenty-five years, there has been a substantial increase in work which is felt to be due, in part, by information technology and by an intense, competitive work environment. Long-term loyalty and a "sense of corporate community" have been eroded by a performance culture that expects more and more from their employees yet offers little security in return. Many Americans are experiencing burnout due to overwork and increased stress. This condition is seen in nearly all occupations from blue collar workers to upper management. Over the past decade, a rise in workplace violence, an increase in levels of absenteeism as well as rising workers compensation claims is all evidence of an unhealthy work life balance.

Employee assistance professionals say there are many causes for this situation ranging from personal ambition and the pressure of family obligations to the accelerating pace of technology.. According to a recent study for the Center for Work-Life Policy, 1.7 million people consider their jobs and their work hours excessive because of globalization. These difficult and exhausting conditions are having adverse effects. According to the study, fifty percent of top corporate executives are leaving their current positions. Although sixty-four percent of workers feel that their work pressures are "self-inflicted", they state that it is taking a toll on them. The study shows that seventy percent of US respondents and eighty-one percent of global respondents say their jobs are affecting their health. Between forty-six and fifty-nine percent of workers feel that stress is affecting their interpersonal and sexual relationships. Additionally, men feel that there is a certain stigma associated with saying "I can't do this".

STRESS AND WORK-LIFE BALANCE The number of stress-related disability claims by American employees has doubled according to the Employee Assistance Professionals Association in Arlington, Virginia.. It is clear that problems caused by stress have become a major concern to both employers and employees. Symptoms of stress are manifested both physiologically and psychologically. Persistent stress can result in cardiovascular disease, sexual health problems, a weaker immune system and frequent headaches, stiff muscles, or backache. It can also result in poor coping skills, irritability, jumpiness, insecurity, exhaustion, and difficulty concentrating.

10

Stress may also perpetuate or lead to binge eating, smoking, and alcohol consumption.

The feeling that simply working hard is not enough anymore is acknowledged by many other American workers. To get ahead, a seventy-hour work week is the new standard. What little time is left is often divvied up among relationships, kids, and sleep. This increase in work hours over the past two decades means that less time will be spent with family, friends, and community as well as pursuing activities that one enjoys and taking the time to grow personally and spiritually[citation needed].

WORK-LIFE BALANCE CONCERNS OF MEN AND WOMEN Similar discrimination is experienced by men who take time off or reduce working hours for taking care of the family. For many employees todayboth male and femaletheir lives are becoming more consumed with a host of family and other personal responsibilities and interests. Therefore, in an effort to retain employees, it is increasingly important for organizations to recognize this balance. WORK-LIFE BALANCE ISSUES & THEIR INFLUENCE ON CHILDRENS An increasing number of young children are being raised by a childcare provider or another person other than a parent; older children are more likely today to come home to an empty house and spend time with video games,

11

television and the internet with less guidance to offset or control the messages coming from these sources. No one knows how many kids are home after school without an adult, but they know the number is in the millions. Also, according to a study by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the more time that children spent in child care, the more likely their sixth grade teachers were to report problem behavior. The findings are the results of the largest study of child care and development conducted in the United States; the analysis tracked 1,364 children from birth. PROFILE OF TNPL: Tamil Nadu Newsprint and Papers Limited (TNPL) was established by the Government of Tamil Nadu during early eighties to produce Newsprint and Printing & Writing Paper using bagasse, a sugarcane residue, as primary raw material. The Company commenced production in the year 1984 with an initial capacity of 90,000 tonnes per annum. Over the years, the production capacity has been increased to 2,45,000 tonnes per annum and the Company has emerged as the largest bagasse based Paper Mill in the world consuming about one million tones of bagasse every year. The Company is in the process of implementing the Mill Expansion Plan for increasing the capacity to 4,00,000 tonnes per annum from July 2010.

TNPL exports about 1/5th of its production to more than 30 countries. Manufacturing of quality paper for the past two and half decades from bagasse is an index of the companys technological competence. A strong record in adopting minimum impact best process technology, responsible waste management,

12

reduced pollution load and commitment to the corporate social responsibility make the company one of the most environmentally compliant paper mills in the world.

TNPLs VISION TNPLs vision is to be the market leader in manufacture of world-class ecofriendly paper adopting innovative technologies for sustainable development. TNPL - Maker of bagasse based eco-friendly paper.

TAMILNADU NEWS PRINTS AND PAPERS LIMITED ORGANISATION STRUCTURE

Board of Directors

Chairman & Managing Directors

GM (F & A) GM Director (Marketing) (Finance)

13

GM (HRD )

GM GM Director (R&D) (Operatio (Operations) n)

Chief of Violence &

GM F&A

- General Manager - Finance & Administration

HRD - Human Resources Development R&D - Research & Development TNPLs RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT AND QUALITY CONTROL TNPLs contemporary cutting edge technology processes and equipments along with a team of dedicated trained professionals ensure that customers always get consistent quality products. State of the art Online Process Control Systems installed at various stages of manufacturing processes continuously measure and control critical parameters. R&D and QC activities are aimed towards achieving companys corporate goals.

14

Sustained R&D efforts to support process for improvements in quality and

trouble shooting. o Customized support to customers and provide workable solutions for

specific problems. o Right quality and quantity of raw materials usage ensured through

structured sampling and testing. o Effective pollution abatement measures to meet all statutory and

mandatory norms which also fetch Carbon Credit benefits. o Set product norms/specifications to meet customer requirements based on

national/ international standards applicable. o Appraise conformance by inspection and testing of periodic samples in

one of the best equipped laboratories in the country. o Take corrective action, if necessary and sustain the standards achieved. R&D and QC department plays a pro active roll in meeting the companys environmental and quality policy.

TNPLs CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

15

TNPL, as a responsible corporate citizen, has ingrained the philosophy of Corporate Social Responsibility deeply into its value system. The company is consistently taking various community welfare initiatives for the benefit of the people living in the neighboring villages. During the year 2008-09, the company has spent an amount of about Rs.1.60 crores for various CSR activities. They serve in all the fields given below.

1. Education 2. Career and Knowledge development 3. Drinking Water 4. Medical and Public Health 5. Infrastructure and Road Improvements 6. Promotion of Sports and Recreation 7. Live stock and Cattle care 8. Development of Tamil Language and Culture 9. Greening the Environment & Other Community Welfare Activities focused towards Women and Children. "Talent-Expo. Information Technology - Online Integrated Information System (OIIS)

16

TNPL believes and invests in state of art technology. In association with CMC Ltd - TNPL has developed a comprehensive Online Integrated Information System (OIIS), which provides real time information for quick decision making. The Online Integrated Information System (OIIS) using Oracle 10g-R2 Database consists of 16 modules covering most of the functions in factory, corporate office and branches. All the modules are integrated. Centralized data base is maintained at factory. The infrastructure in the factory consists of 2 Nos. of HP Servers in cluster as application server and database server and Storage Area Network (SAN) providing for centralized data storage based on fibre channel with an automated tape backup system. There are 5 nos. of intel servers to cater to the need of firewall server, file server, proxy server, test database server and backup file server. One itanium server is being used as mail server. The computers in the factory are connected by Campus Area Network (CAN). The computers in the corporate office are connected by Local Area Network (LAN). The computers in factory and corporate office are connected through Wide Area Network (WAN). Similarly, the computers in the factory, corporate office and branches are connected through Virtual Private Network(VPN). As a first step towards e-CRM (Customer Relationship Management) and e-SCM (Supply Chain Management), marketing and materials activities are web enabled. TNPL maintains a Disaster Recovery System (DRS) at Bangalore for the valued data.

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ENVIRONMENT

Environment Protection and management are integral part of TNPL's activities. TNPL has taken several measures for protecting the environment in line with its commitment for sustainable development. In its choice of raw materials, sources of energy, and production processes, as well as in product development, the objective is to minimize the pollution load on environment. In all its business operations TNPL takes social, economic and ecological considerations seriously.

TNPL is an unfolding saga of commitment to sustainable development. Guided by principles of environmental responsibility, TNPL manufactures and markets paper using materials and processes that help minimize waste, conserve resources and protect Earth's bio diversity. Its unfailing commitment to clean production techniques with minimum pollution load stand out as a bench mark in the industry. Recognizing, TNPL's commitment to preserving nature, the World Wide Fund for Nature - India (WWF) has endorsed TNPL as an eco-conscious company and has franchised its PANDA Logo to be used on TNPL's branded products. Through the adoption of sound ecological practices at every stage of activity, TNPL has not only brought down the pollution load but also improved the overall profitability through adoption of cleaner production technologies. Besides as a responsible corporate citizen the company has initiated many

18

community development activities to enhance the quality of life in and around TNPL which has brought in lot of goodwill. Harnessing of wind energy, adoption of greener technologies, resource conservation, responsible waste management and minimal pollution loads make TNPL one of the most environmentally compliant mills in the world. By using bagasse as primary raw material, TNPL preserves over 40000 acres of forest land from depletion every year. TNPL has also been adopting multi-pronged, ecologically sound approach towards waste minimization and cost reduction through adoption of cleaner production technologies. TNPL is accredited with ISO14001:2004 certification for an effective environmental management system. AWARDS TNPL has bagged the prestigious "Paper Mill of the year 2007-08" award.

The award is given in recognition of the Indian paper mill which sets an example in the areas of productivity, quality, human resource development, research & development, developing export markets, community services etc. besides striving to attain global competitiveness by the Indian Paper Manufacturers Association (IPMA), New Delhi. It has received the award in 2001-02 for TNPL's overall performance, approaches for meeting social obligations, ensuring global competitiveness and sustainable development & technology options. Delhi. TNPL bagged, the Certificate of Excellence in Productivity, Quality,

Innovation and Management from the "Institute of Economic Studies", New

19

Recognizing TNPL's concern for the environment, the Rotary Club of

Chennai (East) and Earth Care, bestowed the "Dr M.S. Swaminathan Award for Environment Protection 2002" on TNPL. TNPL has bagged the CAPEXIL "SPECIAL EXPORT AWARD" for the

10th consecutive year, for its outstanding export performance during the year 2007-08. The Government of India has given "TRADING HOUSE" status to TNPL

recognizing the export performance. TNPL has been bestowed the "Niryat Shree Award" by Federation of

Indian Export Organization (FIEO) for the high degree of excellence it has demonstrated in exports. TNPL has bagged ICWAI National Award for "Excellence in Cost

Management - 2008" (Second) under the category of Public Sector Manufacturing - Organization (Medium). The Award is given by the "Institute of Cost and Works Accountants of India" (ICWAI) for the best costing practices in the companies. TNPL was awarded the commendation award on "CII Leadership &

Excellence Award in Safety, Health & Environment (SH&E) year 2002". TNPL bagged the National Energy Conservation Award for the year 2001

from Government of India in recognition of its outstanding achievement in energy management.

Loyola Institute of Business Administration (LIBA) Chennai

adjudged TNPL as the "Best Corporate Citizen 1999".

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PRODUCT PROFILE TNPL offers high-quality surface sized and non-surface sized paper to suit the needs of modern high speed printing machines. TNPL's cutting edge technology backed by experienced professionals ensures quality products to customers. TNPL s manufacturing processes are equipped with state-of-the-art control systems to maintain critical quality parameters on line. The paper produced by TNPL is eco- friendly as the pulp is manufactured out of renewable raw material and is subjected to Elemental Chlorine Free (ECF) bleaching. As the paper is acid free, it has a longer colour stability and enhanced permanency in terms of strength characteristics. TNPL caters to the requirements of multifunctional printing processes like sheet-fed, web offset, and digital printers. The paper reels have uniform profile with strength properties to cope even with high speed machines. TNPL manufactures Printing and Writing Papers in substances ranging from 50 GSM to 90 GSM. The products are as followed.

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TNPL Ultra White Map litho TNPL Elegant Map litho Hi-Tech Map litho TNPL Map litho Radiant Printing Commander Hardbound Notebook TNPL Offset Printing Cream wove Copy Crown TNPL Copier Students' Favorites Super Print Map litho Perfect Copier Ace Marvel

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23

TABLE-1 GENDER CLASSIFICATION OF EMPLOYEES

S. No.

Gender

N0. Of Respondents

Percentage (%)

1 2

Male Female Total

104 21 125

83 17 100

Inference It was found that about 83% of employees, were male and 17% of employees were female. Hence a majority of the selected respondents were male.

24

TABLE-2 AGE CLASSIFICATION OF EMPLOYEES S. No Age No of respondents Percentage (%) 1 2 3 4 Less than 30 31-40 41-50 More than 51 Total 11 8 52 54 125 9 6 42 43 100

Inference About 43% of the employees are in the age group of more than 51 and about 42% of the employees are in the age group of 41-50 and 9% of them are in the age group of less than 30 and about 6% of them are in the age group of 31-40.

TABLE-3

25

YEAR OF JOINING THE ORGANIZATION S. No. Year No. of respondents 1 2 3 1981-1990 1991-2000 2001-2010 Total 94 22 9 125 Percentage (%) 75 18 7 100

Inference: More than 70% of respondents were the one who joined TNPL between 19811990 and 18% were the one who joined during 1991-2000 remaining 7% were between 2001 and above. TABLE-4 CHANGE IN DESIGNATION FROM DOJ

26

S. No.

Promoted

N0. Of Respondents

Percentage (%)

1 2

Yes No Total

83 42 125

66 34 100

Inference It was been found that 66% of the employees were been promoted to higher post since their date of joining and 34% remain in the same post in which they were been appointed in the beginning.

TABLE-5

27

AWARENESS ABOUT WORK-LIFE BALANCE

S. No.

Awareness

N0. Of Respondents

Percentage (%)

1 2

Yes No Total

86 39 125

69 31 100

Inference About 69% of the employees were aware about work-life balance and remaining 31% were un-aware about it.

28

TABLE-6 POSSIBILITY OF WORK-LIFE BALANCE IN CURRENT ENVIRONMENT

S. No.

Possible

N0. Of Respondents

Percentage (%)

1 2

Yes No Total

73 52 125

58 42 100

Inference Nearly 58% of employees felt that work-life balance is possible in todays environment and 42% of them felt that work-life balance is not possible.

29

TABLE-7 IMPORTANCE FOR WORK & FAMILY S. No. Importance No. of respondents 1 2 3 Work Family Both (Work & Family) Total 19 8 97 125 Percentage (%) 15 7 78 100

Inference It was been observed that 78% of the employees feel that both work and family are important, 15% feel that work is more important than family and remaining 7% feel that family is more important than work.

TABLE-8

30

RANKS ON QUALITY AND TIME BOUND COMPLETION OF WORK S. No 1 Importance Proper instruction from 2 superiors Planning & time management 3 by myself Co- operation from peers and 4 5 subordinate Rational work load Realistic time dead line Total 11 8 125 9 6 100 11 15 125 9 12 100 34 13 125 27 10 100 16 52 125 13 41 100 53 37 125 42 31 10 0 11 9 16 13 56 45 25 20 17 13 42 34 37 29 22 18 15 12 9 7 1st Rank 53 % 42 2nd Rank 46 % 37 3rd Rank 0 % 0 4th Rank 17 % 14 5th Rank 9 % 7

Chart

31

Inference From the table it can be seen that various ranks are been given to quality and time bound completion of work.

32

TABLE-9 COMPLETION OF WORK IN OFFICE HOURS

S. No.

Possibilities

No. of respondents

Percentage (%) 42 57 1 100

1 2 3

Almost all the days Most of the days Very few days Total

52 71 2 125

Inference From the table it can be seen that 57% employees are able to finish their work in office hours itself most of the days while 42% of them were able to finish it almost all the days and 1% were able to finish it on very few days alone.

TABLE-10

33

RANK BASED ON IMPORTANCE S. No 1 2 3 Importance Attending family work Taking care of children Looking elderly 4 5 parents Pursuing hobbies Taking time for relaxing Total 0 8 125 0 6 100 0 2 125 0 1 100 22 18 125 18 14 100 25 50 125 20 41 100 78 47 125 62 38 10 0 1st Rank 26 79 12 % 21 63 10 2nd Rank 46 46 31 % 37 37 25 3rd Rank 21 0 64 % 17 0 51 4th Rank 32 0 18 % 25 0 14 5th Rank 0 0 0 % 0 0 0

34

Inference In the above table different kind of ranks are been assigned based on the preference and importance felt by the employee.

TABLE-11 WORK LOAD HINDRANCE FROM FAMILY RESPONSIBILITIES

35

S. No.

Hindrance

No. of respondents

Percentage (%) 30 55 15 100

1 2 3

Yes No Undecided Total

38 69 18 125

Inference It is been found that 55% of the employees feel that work load does not affect them from family responsibilities and 30% feel that work load affect them from taking part in family and other responsibilities and 15% says that its undecided. TABLE-12 FACTORS HINDERING FROM ATTENDING FAMILY RESPONSIBILITY

36

S. No 1 2 3 4 5

Factors Lack of time management Wrong priorities Shortage of time & energy No co- operation Others Total

No of respondents 57 21 32 6 9 125

Percentage (%) 46 17 25 5 7 100

Inference 46% of them feel that its due to lack of time management, 25% feel that its due to shortage of time and energy, 17% feel its because of wrong priorities, 7% feel that its due to various other reasons and 5% feel that its due to no cooperation from family members. TABLE-13 EMPLOYEES HAVE READ OR BROWSE ABOUT WORK-LIFE BALANCE

37

S. No.

Read or Browse

N0. Of Respondents

Percentage (%)

1 2

Yes No Total

27 98 125

22 78 100

Inference It can be seen from the table that 78% of employees have not read or browse anything about work life balance and 22% have read or browse about it.

TABLE-14 EMPLOYEES VIEW ABOUT BUFFET APPROACH TO LEAVE

S. No.

Buffet approach

N0. Of

Percentage (%)

38

Respondents 1 2 Yes No Total 62 63 125 50 50 100

Inference It is found that 50% of employees say yes to buffet approach to leave and the remaining 50% say no to it. TABLE-15 EMPLOYEES VIEW ABOUT COMPULSORY LEAVE IN THE CALENDER YEAR

S. No.

Compulsory

N0. Of

Percentage (%)

39

Leave 1 2 Yes No Total

Respondents 53 72 125 42 58 100

Inference It is found that 58% of employees say no to compulsory leave in the calendar year and the remaining 42% say yes to it.

TABLE-16 EMPLOYEES VIEW ABOUT SPECIAL LEAVE FOR CERTAIN EMERGENCY S. No. Special Leave N0. Of Respondents 1 Yes 107 86 Percentage (%)

40

No Total

18 125

14 100

Inference It is found that 86% of employees say yes to special leave for certain emergency and the remaining 14% say No to it.

TABLE-17 EMPLOYEES VIEW ABOUT PATERNITY LEAVE FOR MALE EMPLOYEES

S. No.

Paternity Leave

N0. Of

Percentage (%)

41

Respondents 1 2 Yes No Total 77 48 125 62 38 100

Inference It is found that 62% of employees say yes to paternity leave for male employees and the remaining 38% say No to it. TABLE-18 EMPLOYEES VIEW ABOUT FLEXI TIME WHEN EVER POSSIBLE

S. No.

Flexi Time

N0. Of Respondents

Percentage (%)

Yes

86

69

42

No Total

39 125

31 100

Inference It is found that 69% of employees say yes to flexi time when ever possible and the remaining 31% say No to it. TABLE-19 EMPLOYEES VIEW ABOUT WORK FROM HOME OPTION S. No. Work From Home 1 2 Yes No N0. Of Respondents 68 57 54 46 Percentage (%)

43

Total

125

100

Inference It is found that 54% of employees say yes to work from home option and the remaining 46% say No to it.

TABLE-20 EMPLOYEES VIEW ABOUT TRAINING FOR WORK-LIFE BALANCE

S. No.

Training For Work-Life Balance

N0. Of Respondents

Percentage (%)

Yes

104

83

44

No Total

21 125

17 100

Inference It is found that 83% of employees say yes to training for work-life balance and the remaining 17% say No to it. TABLE-21 EMPLOYEES VIEW ABOUT ON SITE CHILD CARE FACILITY

S. No.

On Site Child Care Facility

N0. Of Respondents 71 54 125

Percentage (%)

1 2

Yes No Total

57 43 100

45

Inference It is found that 57% of employees say yes to on site child care facility and the remaining 43% say No to it. TABLE-22 LEVEL OF EFFORT TAKEN BY THE EMPLOYEES TO ACHIEVE WORK-LIFE BALANCE S. No. Effort Taken No. of respondents 1 2 3 Yes No Undecided Total 72 31 22 125 Percentage (%) 58 25 17 100

46

Inference More than 55% of respondents said yes stating that they have taken conscious effort to achieve work-life balance and 25% said no remaining 17% were undecided. FINDINGS 1. 2. Out of 125 employees interviewed for the study 83% were male. About 43% of employees were in the age group of 41-50 and 42% were

more than 51.

3.

Nearly 75% of the employees were the one who joined the organization

during 181-1990. 4. Among the employees 66% were been promoted to other designation after

few years.

47

5.

Only 69% of the employees were aware about the concept of work-life

balance and the rest 31% were unaware about it. 6. 58% of the employees felt that work-life balance is possible in current

working environment. 7. Majority of the employees felt that both work and family should be treated

as equally important. 8. More than half of the employees felt that co- operation from peers will

help in time bound completion of work. 9. More than 55% of employees feel that they are able to complete their

work within office hours almost all the days. 10. More than half of employees feel that work load does not hinder them

from family responsibilities. 11. Lack of time management is termed as the major factor which hinders

them in family responsibilities. 12. It was been found that more then 75% of the employees did not take any

initiative to read or browse from the internet to know about work-life balance. 13. 50% of employees say yes to buffet approach to leave if offered by the

employer. 14. When asked about compulsory leave in the calendar year 58% of them

said no to it.
15.

86% of the employees welcomed for the concept of emergency leave More than 60% said yes for paternity leave for male employees.

16.

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17. 18.

Nearly 70% said yes for flexi time working option for the employees. 54% said yes for work from home option.Majority of them said yes to

provide training program to achieve work-life balance. 19. 20. Onsite child care was a welcoming option for the employees. 58% of employees said yes stating that they have taken initiative to

achieve work-life balance.

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SUGGESTIONS 1. Many employees are un-aware about the concept of work-life balance;

they should be made aware of it so that they can able to balance work and life together equally in a same track. 2. Some employees are not aware of the benefits about work-life balance,

they should be explained about this. 3. Proper training by experts should be provided for achieving work-life

balance to employees. 4. Some employees feel that lack of time management hinders them from

attending family responsibilities. So proper time management technique should be thought to the employees. 5. The employees should be updated with work-life balance articles which is

been published in newspapers, magazines and website. 6. The employer should provide certain leave for emergency purpose for the

employees. 7.
8.

Paternity leave should also be provided for male employees. Flexible time working option was also been welcomed by the employees,

if that is been provided to them they will finish the work in the flexible time.

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9.

Employees will be boosted up if they are even been provided onsite child

care facility to look after their kids. 10. Majority of the employees felt that the employer should provide training

for work-life balance by experts to achieve work-life balance in their life. So proper training should be provided to them about this concept to achieve success in their life.

CONCLUSION It is clear that problems caused by stress have become a major concern to both employers and employees. Symptoms of stress are manifested both physiologically and psychologically. Persistent stress can result in cardiovascular disease, sexual health problems, a weaker immune system and frequent headaches, stiff muscles, or backache. It can also result in poor coping skills, irritability, jumpiness, insecurity, exhaustion, and difficulty concentrating. Stress may also perpetuate or lead to binge eating, smoking, and alcohol consumption. From the study it can be found that most of the employees are un-aware of the concept of work life balance. Most of the employees feel that proper training facilities should be offered by the employer to achieve work-life balance.

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This kind of training activity can help the employees to make work-life balance possible. Proper training facility by experts should be arranged by the employer. This training will help them to know more about work-life balance and the various measures and methods that should be taken to attain work-life balance can be achieved based on this training. Most of the employees even feel that the employer should change the system of leave and special leaves for certain emergency should be given.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

BOOKS:

1. 2. 3.

Eight edition, human resource management by P. Subba rao. Research methodology by p. Ravilochanan. Organizational Behavior by Stephen Robbins

WEBSITES: 1. 2. www.wikipedia.com www.tnpl.com

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QUESTIONNAIRE

1. (a) Name (b) Age (c) Date of joining at TNPL : :

2. (a) Designation at the time of joining

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(b) Current designation

3. Have you heard of the concept of Work-Life Balance? Yes No

4. Do you feel that some amount of Work-Life Balance is possible in todays environment? Yes No

5. According to you which of the following statement is most important? Please tick only one. (a) Work is more important than family (b) Family is more important than work (c) Both (work and family) are equally important

6. According to you which of the following are important for quality and time bound completion of work? Please rank from 1-5 in order of importance (a) Proper instruction from superiors (b) Planning and time management by myself (c) Co- operation from peers and subordinates

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(d) Rational work load (e) Realistic time dead line 7.Are you able to complete your work within the office hours? (a) Almost all the days (b) Most of the days (c) Very few of the days 8.Rank the following in order of their importance? 1- Most Important, 2Important, 3-Not very Important, 4- Some what important, 5- Least Important (a) Attending to and completing family related work (b) Taking care of young children (c) Looking after elderly parents (d) Pursuing hobbies (e) Taking time for relaxing, socializing and self development

9. Do you feel that your work load does not give you time to attend to family and other responsibilities? Yes No Undecided

10.Which of the following hinder you from attending to family related responsibilities?

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(a) Lack of effective time management (b) Wrong priorities (c) Shortage of time and energy (d) No co- operation from spouse and children (e) Any other please specify _________________________

11.Have you read anything or browse the net about Work- Life Balance? Yes No

12.Do you feel that the employer can facilitate some degree of work life balance by offering the following? No (a) Buffet approach to leave (b) Compulsory leave for the employee in the calendar year (c) Special leave for certain emergency (d) Paternity leave for male employees
(e) Flexi time where ever possible

Yes

Yes

No

(f) Work from home option

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(g) Suitable training programs for employees For achieving Work- Life Balance (h) Onsite child care facility 13. Have you made conscious effect to achieve some degree of work life balance as an individual? Yes 14. Any comments No Undecided

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